Author: Steph

This is my latest poem – I wrote it for my father, who died on the 11th June.

He’s gone fishin’

 

An Adventurous Soul…

 

Have I been

The ties of bondage

Did I break

To be free

Sailed across the ocean

To a land of rich exuberant

Wilderness

That set my heart alight

Left behind

A training ground

Of heartbreak

Hardship

And comradeship

Forged in

The furnace of

A Lancashire landscape

Where Accrington red brick

Mills

Covered the valleys

Between long lost forests

 

 

Enslaving a people

Once so proud

And brave

Even bears trod with respect

 A people

With such a will to live

That deafness working the loom

Rations not fit for a warrior folk

       And loss of power

Took not their souls

But lifted them;

Survivors in humour

Cheerfulness

A perfected art form

Cushioning the agony

Protecting their chicks

Look out for our own

Make summat outta nowt

Make merry

Like there is no tomorrow

An adventurous soul

Have I been

From the waters of Eire

To the rivers of Ayr

 

 

I have fished

And made merry

Forged friendships in malted hops

And left memories in the hearts of hosts

 

 

 

Music in my soul

From the dancehalls to the theatres

The language of my soul

Both irreverent and deep reverence

Served my time

Aboard a naval vessel

Learnt the ways

Of islands still wild

Loved and lost

Explored my freedom

Lived life

Like tomorrow never comes

Came home

Settled down

Gave up my hard earned freedom…

Slowly

Known in my heart

That our own destiny we forge

That whatever we reach out for

Is within our grasp

 

 

 

Yet

Settled down

Gave up my hard won freedom

To take up the mantle

Of a householder

Bowling with aim

Sure as an archer

Met me a wife

Reared me a daughter

And then one more

Accepted the mantle

Of response ability

Found the tender one

Within

And to distressed child in the night

Offered succour

Rose early

And coaxed breakfast

Into the mouths

Of reluctant young

Lifts to school

Sucking strong peppermints

A kiss goodbye

And suddenly grown

 

 

Daughters

Step away

And I know the poignancy

Of young leaving the nest

My heart aches

And forgotten grief

Attempts to rise

Up

To the surface

Pain

Can I find strength

In vulnerability?

Lancashire born

Countryman heart

Wild adventurous soul

Vulnerable, me?

Ah, no

Ask not that

Leave me my dignity

Warrior, hero, father.

A challenge, a step too far,

For this time around.

A move down south,

Take it easy

But habits they die hard

In a Lancashire lad

Life and Soul

Our George

Made us laugh

One o’ t’ lads

Heart o’ gold?

Aye

But don’t wear it on your sleeve lad

Be a man

‘er indoors

And the bairns

Need you to be strong.

Ah yes, dad

But

Need you to be true

To you

Too

Loving heart

Don’t hide that

It’s solid gold

More precious than a diamond

Adventurous soul,

It’s your heart that we love.

WEDNESDAY, 20th June

3.30pm Come hear The Tale of How Transition Came to Totnes

FESTIVAL OF TRANSITION

TOTNES Market Square

4pm – Play the Quest – what does the future look like to you?

Lots of fun- games -stories- bike repairing- upcycling- gift economy- foraging -singing and much more….

part of 24 hours of TRANSITION – a nationwide event to coincide with the Earth Summit in Rio

Hope to see you there!

Shout with Joy!

Who would have thought it?

Very apt that today, on Jubilee day, my brand new website is born! Shout with Joy!

Storyweaving finally weaves together the various threads of my storytelling life, thanks to Nick Walters for photography and web design and hosting http://www.nickwalters.co.uk, Christoffer de Graal for early stages technical support http://christofferdegraal.com/home.html, the Creative Community Devon dance and arts community http://creativedevon.ning.com for egging me on by reading and regularly commenting on my blog posts, and encouraging me over cups of peppermint tea in Rumours Wine Bar after our weekly 5 Rhythms dance class, and my boyfriend, Ben Chadwick for on going support, technical assistance, bright ideas, and encouragement.

It’s been a magical week that started out with a wondrous Earth Wisdom Day with the TTT (Transition Town Totnes) education group led by Carlos Glover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eqcKT28zT0 where we learnt to walk our talk with regard to sharing ensuring that all members were given equal space to share from first the personal, and then to input ideas into our new venture, the next Transition Education Conference. The process was slow, rich, and infinitely more satisfying than any rushed through agenda, incorporating Ben, as a new member into our group, as seamlessly as if he had always been one of us.

We learnt that foundations that include everything and everybody are infinitely stronger than any that push forward any one person’s new idea, and that our various perspectives and experiences all added value to our group’s sense of well being and to our new project in the making.

We ate well, sitting round the kitchen table together, local seasonal freshly prepared almost exclusively vegetarian fare, and had time out to reflect on a question of personal import as we wandered at will in Carlos’ smallholding.

This day followed on for me from a weekend of dancing hosted by 5 Rhythms teacher Jo Hardy, where we learnt to express our emotions through our dance, and experience the joy of them moving through us. I learnt that my power is all tied up with my struggle to express anger, and began to experience the inner strength I have. I felt the deepening bonds of friendship within our dance community.

My week was about nourishing life in the moment; the only certainty we ever have.

We planted vegetables in newly dug beds, cooked fresh local food over a fire outside, walked the softly undulating hills and dells of the South Hams landscape, stayed up late talking and laughing as if there was no rush to ever accomplish anything again, slept in, and discovered how many different varieties of snail live on a Rattery cottage wall.

Last night the talented Rebecca Mayes sang her heart out to an appreciative audience at Studio Lounge, and accompanied my tale telling on her harp.

Jubilee!

Shout with Joy!

There is no time like the present, and the present is all there is.

The Tales of Our Times they are in the making….and we… we are the characters that inhabit their pages…